D..1 and D..2

Ethical Issues in Health Policy

Ethics, which are a fundamental concept in every professional field, are the moral foundation for our work and help us determine what actions or activities are “good” and “bad”. Because our opinions on morals vary based on culture, personal opinion, values, and numerous other factors, there is not always consensus on what ethical standards of behavior are. When we consider ethics in light of health policy, we find that individual values heavily influence the types of policies made. In addition, ethics come into play when we assess who and what health policies are supporting. The classic example of a health policy ethical debate is that of abortion. Those who seek to enact laws to make abortion illegal argue that terminating a pregnancy is morally wrong and that policy needs to reflect that by preventing women from having abortions. On the other side are those who argue that a woman’s bodily autonomy (i.e. that a person should get to make decisions about what to do with her body) is of the utmost moral importance, and therefore policy must reflect the priority of choice. The question is, whose ethics - whose morals and definition of what is right or wrong - should take precedence? As we conduct a policy analysis, it is critical to determine what all of the salient ethical issues are, which issues should be prioritized for consideration during the analysis, and which points of view on the issues are most important.

Remember that an active discussion is the key to an interesting and engaging online course. As you engage with the questions and with others as they join in the discussion, be sure to read what has already been posted and then add substantively to the discussion. Time goes quickly, so remember to post early! The first question is opinion-based so that you can begin the discussion immediately without having completed all of your readings. You will apply your assigned readings to subsequent questions.

For this discussion, you will reflect on ethical issues as they relate to the policy issue you are focusing on during this course (this is the issue you selected for your assignment in module 3 and are using as the basis for your Policy Analysis assignment). The issues covered in this discussion will apply directly to your policy analysis assignments, and you should consider what you write here while completing your Policy Analysis Draft this week. Use the following questions to help guide your initial post:

What are some of the key ethical issues related to the policy issue you are focusing on?

What are the various points of view related to these issues?

In what way, if any, are these ethical issues in conflict with one another?

Which of the ethical issues should take precedence when conducting a policy analysis?

How do you determine whose ethical and moral values to prioritize?

Then, respond to your classmates. How did your thoughts differ from your classmate’s? What important points did your classmate raise that you could expand on? What examples could you share that would highlight the difference in thinking between you and your classmate? How does your lens (your personal experiences, background, learning, etc.) affect your thinking on this subject, and how does your lens differ from that of your classmate?

Consult the Discussion Posting Guide for information about writing your discussion posts. It is recommended that you write your post in a document first. Check your work and correct any spelling or grammatical errors. When you are ready to make your initial post, click on "Reply." Then copy/paste the text into the message field, and click "Post Reply." 

To respond to a peer, click “Reply” beneath her or his post and continue as with an initial post.